Love Revealed
by MoreBonesPlz
Summary: A series of chapters that could be read as one-shots or together as a story describing how some of B&B's friends and colleagues discovered they were finally together, as a couple. Response to a challenge. Rating for later chapters.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N**: _Jenny1701 challenged me to write something about how the people at the FBI, including Hacker and Caroline, discover B&B are more than "just" partners. Here's what gurgled up from my mind in the midst of last minute holiday shopping and holiday feasts with family & friends. Unfortunately, or fortunately, depending on your perspective, I couldn't keep my mind totally out of the gutter when imagining the early B&B relationship that never made it onto the TV screen so I'm calling this one M for later chapters. I started with Angela, primarily as an introduction and to set up the background story for the remaining characters, even though her discovery of B&B's change in status was partially explained in S6x23. Planning for this to be 5 chapters. Hope it ultimately satisfies Jenny1701's request …_

**DISCLAIMER:** I own nothing _Bones_ related except my imagination.

When Booth and Brennan finally let go of all their fears, excuses, and misguided intentions and allowed themselves to be together, intimately, Angela was the first to know. Well, technically, Angela was the third to know as Booth and Brennan were the first two to know. It was the morning after intern Vincent Nigel-Murray had been brutally murdered while working right beside Brennan on the forensics platform in the Jeffersonian. The whole team had come back in to work that morning more determined than ever to harness their collective reasoning skills and help Booth, and the FBI, to locate and capture Jacob Broadsky, the rogue sniper responsible for multiple deaths, including poor Vincent's.

Angela had been subtly watching Brennan all morning. Her good friend seemed completely distracted and Angela was worried that Brennan was struggling with compartmentalizing her emotions, something the anthropologist typically excelled at to a fault.

Angela decided it was probably time to check up on her friend, who had been holed up in one of the bone examination rooms most of the morning. As Angela entered the room, she could see Brennan leaning on the examination table, holding Matt Lysinger's skull in front of her. Over the years they'd been working together, there had been many occasions where Angela had watched Brennan study a set of bones. It was a beautiful thing to see in its own way. The level of concentration and the reverence for the bones could clearly be seen on Brennan's face and she touched and held the bones as though they were treasured artifacts, worthy of respect. But, none of that was present this morning. Brennan stood there, staring at Lysinger's skull, but looking right through it. Her mind was obviously elsewhere.

Angela decided it was time to prod a little and see if she could help Brennan process whatever emotions she appeared to be struggling with. "Hey. You've been staring at Lysinger's skull for a really long time. You trying to get that thing to talk to you?" she asked in a joking manner from the doorway.

Brennan looked up at her confused "Are you being metaphoric?"

"No, I was just trying to lighten the mood. Didn't work."

"The mastoid process is generally not a target in close quarter combat. Perhaps I should examine it microscopically."

Approaching the examination table, Angela responded "You told me that an hour ago. What is going on?" she asked, figuring maybe the direct approach would be best this time. "Um, is this about Vincent?"

"Yes." Brennan responded, with a gentle nod of her head.

"Yeah."

"And … " she paused, hesitating, as though she was considering her words, then took a deep breath and looked up at Angela "I got in to bed with Booth last night" she confessed.

Of all the possible things Angela might have anticipated coming out of Brennan's mouth, that was _nowhere_ on the list. She was stunned and felt helpless to prevent her mouth from dropping open as she stared at Brennan, dumbfounded. She felt like a vacuum had just sucked the ability to understand language right out of her mind. Was Brennan really saying what it sounded like she was saying?

Unnerved by Angela's silence, Brennan questioned "Why aren't you saying anything?"

"Because … I don't want to yell Hallelujah so close to losing Vincent." Angela responded, feeling flustered.

"I think I did it because of Vincent."

"Wait … whoa, huh" With anyone else, there wouldn't be any doubt what was meant by 'getting in to bed with' another person. But, since this was Brennan, literal to a fault, Angela needed her to be clear on exactly what she meant. After watching Booth and Brennan circle each other for so many years, she didn't think it was beyond the realm of possibility that they'd crawl in to bed together and just go to sleep, no hanky-panky. God, she hoped there was hanky-panky. "What, what exactly happened after you … after you crawled in to bed with Booth?"

For just a brief moment, Brennan looked like she was recalling an unhappy memory, but then, she smiled, the kind of smile that indicated she was recollecting something very pleasurable and she'd like to experience it again. Her whole face was transformed with a look of joy that Angela had rarely seen on her friend's face, but had been hoping to see for years.

Before Brennan could respond, Hodgins came rushing in to the room "I got the GC mass spec results back on the bullet that killed Vincent" quickly rolling off his tongue.

"Honey, no, not right now. I'm sorry. I love you, but go tell Cam." Angela cut off her husband sharply. There was no way, no way in hell, she was going to let work interfere with this monumental revelation. Yes, Vincent was important, but as far as she was concerned, so was Brennan and Brennan seemed to need to talk about what happened with Booth in order to be able to process it and refocus_. It was girl talk time, damn it._ When Hodgins hesitated, looking a little stunned and rejected, Angela spoke to him more forcefully. "Go. Away." Hodgins started to leave, but turned back, until Angela yelled at him again "Awaay."

Not wanting any more interruptions, Angela immediately marched over to the exit from the room, closed the door, and locked it before turning back to Brennan to continue where they'd left off. Brennan was looking at Angela a little uncertainly, slightly overwhelmed by Angela's ejection of Hodgins from the room.

"OK, Sweetie. Spill."

"I'm not sure what you want me to say."

"I want you to tell me exactly what happened last night." Angela said with a naughty smile on her face and a waggle of her eyebrows. "Details are permitted. Was it amazing?"

"What happened?" Brennan took a deep breath, thinking for a moment, before letting it out. "I was upset about Vincent's death and I felt like he thought I was somehow responsible based on his final words. I couldn't sleep. I just kept hearing his voice in my head asking me over and over why_ I_ made him leave. Eventually, I gave up trying to figure it out on my own and I went to Booth's room to talk to him, even though it was the middle of the night. I needed to talk, to understand. Booth listened to my concerns and he helped me accept that Vincent wasn't blaming me. In the end, we laid down together and he held me until we both fell asleep." then her face softened and her expression became a little dreamy "but, this morning … Oh, Ange, this morning was … it was wonderful. Booth's alarm woke us both, but he just shut it off, then pulled me back into his arms and it felt so, so right. Neither one of us wanted to get out of the bed or break our connection. I'm not entirely sure who ultimately made the first move or exactly how we went from just lying there, cuddling, to making love, but we did and it was the most incredible thing I've ever experienced. There wasn't enough time for it to be slow and leisurely, but neither was it frantic or desperate. Hmmm, I guess the best word to describe the experience would be to call it intense. Every look and every touch seemed to carry with it so much emotion, so much meaning. As impossible as it seems, I felt my chest swelling with feelings and when my release came, it seemed to transcend simple physical pleasure. It was just so much _more_ than any past sexual encounter I've had."

"Oh, Bren. I'm so happy for you" Angela expressed sincerely as she reached out and gave Brennan a warm hug. "So, what does this mean?"

"I'm not … I don't know exactly. I assume that Booth and I are entering into a romantic relationship, but I, well, I don't know exactly what that means or what's expected now. We didn't really have time to talk afterwards and now, well, now I'm finding it challenging to understand or control my emotions."

"Bren, what you're feeling is normal, alright. This … whatever it is … this is a BIG change and it will take a little time to get your bearings and, Sweetie, that's okay. It's acceptable for you to be feeling confused or overwhelmed or even a little scared right now. It will be that way for Booth too, so keep that in mind. The most important thing right now is whether you're happy. Are you?"

Brennan looked at Angela, a serious mien to her face while she considered how to respond, then she looked back down at the skull, still clasped loosely in her hands "I seem to be feeling many different things right now and I'm finding it difficult isolate any one particular feeling. I don't regret what happened between us and I want it to happen again. Frequently, if I have any say in the matter. Just the thought of seeing Booth again fills me with a, a joy I can't begin to describe, but, right now, mostly I'm feeling extremely anxious. I'm worried about Booth being out there, facing off with Broadsky, and possibly getting hurt. I'm worried that I'll say or do something wrong and ruin not just our chance at a romantic relationship, but the partnership we've maintained for so many years. I'm worried how Booth's superiors at the FBI will react to our new relationship status. I'm worried that I won't be able to make him happy and Booth deserves to be happy."

"Listen, Bren. I love you and you know that I've thought you should jump Booth for years so I'm thrilled you guys finally did the dirty-deed. Every one of us here, at the Jeffersonian, is going to do everything we can to help him get that bastard, Broadsky, so he can come home to you at night. As for your other concerns, Booth's known you for seven years Sweetie. He knows who you are and what he's getting into. He knows you speak your mind but, that it comes from the heart. He knows some people think you're cold and stand-offish but that really, you're a very warm person who's just trying to protect herself from getting hurt. He knows that you can sometimes be a little arrogant, or a little abrupt or a lot pig-headed. But he loves you because he also knows you're intelligent, hard-working, honest, and loyal. He knows you'll defend those who can't defend themselves and that you'll fight passionately in the pursuit of justice. He knows you can be socially awkward and he knows your odd sense of humor. He knows your past and your scars and he accepts them, the same way you know and accept his past and his scars. Booth knows what I've known for years – that despite the fact that you can be difficult at times, being the recipient of a love as fierce and true as yours is an amazing honor. So, my advice to you is to trust him, Bren. Trust him and trust yourself. As for his superiors, they've got a good thing going with you two and they'd be fools to mess with that so don't let that hold you back."

Brennan grabbed Angela and gave her another hug. "Thanks, Ange. I'm not sure what I ever did to earn your friendship, but I am very grateful for it. I love you too you know."

"Yeah, I know."

Brennan turned back to the examination table and held up Lysinger's skull again. "You know, there's something odd about the two bruises on the mastoid process here. I need to take a closer look at these as there's something important here that my brain is just not grasping yet."

And with that, Angela recognized that, for now, girl talk time was over. "OK, Sweetie. I'm going to go find Jack and make up for shooing him away earlier. Just remember, I'm here for you if you need to talk about anything again." Then, she turned and left the room.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N**: _Many FF stories addressing the other character's discovering B&B getting together seem to follow one of two themes: B&B are trying to keep their relationship a secret, but the secret gets out or B&B make an announcement to their friends/colleagues. While I have read __and enjoyed__ many of these stories, both those themes seem a little OOC to me. Brennan's lousy at secrets and has never tried to keep any of her other relationships hidden. Booth's discreet, not secretive. Neither Booth nor Brennan seem to me like the type to make an announcement about anything personal. I've always figured Booth and Brennan would just do their thing and eventually people would kind of figure it out, like most real world relationships. I don't think Brennan would be bashful about physically expressing her affection or making some inappropriate comment but they'd both be respectful of the work environment and their professional reputations. So, that's the approach I've tried to take here. Of course, FF wouldn't be much fun if I kept them too respectful …_

Warmth. Brennan hovered in that place between sleeping and awakening and felt cocooned in a comforting warmth that she had no desire to disrupt. But, wakefulness has a way of creeping up on us and taking over whether we want it to or not. As her conscious mind started to stir, she became aware of other sensations in addition to the comforting warmth.

She could feel Booth all around her – his naked chest pressed against her bare back, one of his arms under the pillow beneath her head and the other draped over her waist. His hand resting just below her breasts. His legs tangled with hers beneath the covers, and most deliciously, his semi-erect penis was nestled snuggly against her ass.

As she lay there, enjoying their first Saturday morning together since becoming lovers a few days earlier, she could hear the soft, steady cadence of his breathing, his mouth just inches from her ear, and feel the slight stirring of her hair with each breath he exhaled. She could smell that masculine scent that was uniquely Booth to her, a little musky with a hint of sandalwood and something else that was simply Booth's.

She couldn't help but allow a gentle smile to curve her lips as she recalled the night before. She and Booth had met after work and gone to a little Italian restaurant Booth enjoyed for dinner. It was the first time they'd been out together since the day Vincent died, not counting meals at the diner, and it had felt like a first date. It was hard to describe exactly how it was different from the many other times they'd gone out together before, but it was. Like always, Booth was attentive and they'd not had any difficulty finding things to talk about. But, they'd both known it was different. There were more little touches, simple brushes of fingertips really, but they lingered a little longer than necessary and felt more intimate than in the past. Booth and Brennan had always gotten lost looking into each other's eyes while carrying on a conversation, but this time, there was an unmasked hunger for each other in their gazes which they both recognized and relished. Brennan had enjoyed herself immensely.

After dinner, they'd come back to Booth's apartment to watch a movie together. Brennan grinned. At least, that was the excuse Booth had provided for inviting her to stay. She didn't think they'd made it through the opening credits of the movie though before she and Booth were making out like unchaperoned teenagers on his couch. They weren't in a rush though. They knew they had all night and so they'd taken their time, exploring each other's lips and mouths, until the need for _more_ had consumed them both. They'd helped each other disrobe and started exploring each other's bodies with hands, lips, and tongues, their relationship still new enough that there was plenty for them to discover about each other. Brennan's first orgasm of the night had occurred on the couch as Booth's deft fingers stroked in and out of her while he'd suckled her breasts.

Eventually, they'd abandoned the couch for the comfort of his bed, where she'd had her second and third orgasms as he'd stroked into her with his magnificent cock before reaching his own climax. Afterward, he'd rolled off her and pulled her into his arms, where she'd spent the entire night, warm and content.

Now, however, she was rested and ready to play again. Thinking about last night's lovemaking had aroused her so she rolled herself over in Booth's arms, not really caring if the action woke him or not since she didn't intend to let him sleep much longer anyway. Chest-to-chest, she could kiss and nibble along his collarbone, up along his neck towards his ear, then follow along his jawline. She heard him moan and pulled back to see his eyes fluttering open. "Good morning, beautiful. This is a nice way to wake up." he murmured softly, smiling down at her.

"Morning Booth. I hope you slept well and are feeling rested" she answered before leaning forward and placing a soft kiss on his lips as her hand trailed down his chest beneath the covers until it encountered the rapidly hardening shaft between his legs. She kissed him and stroked him until he took control, pushing her onto her back, then filling her over and over until she hollered his name as they both came apart again.

It was as they lay there, snuggling in a post-coital haze, that Booth heard an unexpected noise at his front door. He sat up in bed just as he heard "Hey Dad, you awake yet?" hollered from his foyer.

"Yeah, buddy. Ah, I'll be right there. Just, um, just give me a minute." Booth yelled back as he jumped out of bed and frantically grabbed a pair of sweatpants from the laundry pile to cover his nakedness. What the hell was Parker doing here? Booth wasn't supposed to pick him up for a couple hours yet.

Brennan watched Booth dart out the bedroom door, then rolled over onto her stomach and closed her eyes, a delightful lethargy taking over her body following their morning exertions.

"Hey, Parker. Rebecca. What are you guys doing here?" Booth asked as he met them coming into his living room, trying to play it cool.

"Oh damn, you didn't see my text last night did you?" Rebecca answered. "Parker, why don't you go put your bag in your room while I explain what's going on to your father."

"OK" Parker picked up his duffel bag and headed down the hallway towards his bedroom.

"I'm sorry, Seeley. We're having a mini-crisis at work and last night, my boss called me and a handful of my co-workers to come in for a strategizing meeting this morning. I've got to be there by 8, so I figured I'd just drop Parker off on my way in to work. I assume that's OK right? He was planning to be with you today anyway."

"Uh, yeah. Sure, no problem. This is Parker's home too and he's always welcome here. I was just caught off-guard. You do what you need to at work and I'll bring him back to your place tomorrow night in time for dinner, like usual."

When Rebecca and Parker first walked into Seeley's apartment, her mind had been focused on making sure Parker got delivered okay. But, as she stood there talking to Booth, she started to register other things – like the fact that there was a pair of women's boots next to his coffee table and what appeared to be several pieces of women's clothing on the floor by his couch, assuming Booth hadn't taken to wearing floral prints. She also noticed his hair was mussed in that way it got when someone had been running their fingers through it. The real clincher though was a subtle smell. Rebecca had been intimate with Booth in the past and she knew what he smelled like after sex. It wasn't an unpleasant or an overwhelming smell, and she almost hadn't noticed it at all, but when he leaned close to her to pick up a bag of snacks Parker had left on the floor, she got a quick whiff of what she clearly remembered as his post-sex Booth scent.

"Oh, God. You're not alone."

"Umm ..."

"You don't have some floozy in here that you picked up at a bar last night, do you?"

"What? No. No way. I don't bring home random women from bars anymore like some twenty-year old, Becca. Give me a little credit."

"Please don't tell me you're back with Hannah. You aren't are you? I mean, I know it wouldn't really be my business, but Parker was never really all that comfortable around her. It isn't Hannah, is it Seeley?"

Just the suggestion that he might be back with Hannah was enough to piss him off and he responded a little more harshly than he meant to "You're right, it wouldn't be any of your business. But, no. Hannah and I will never get back together so that's not an issue for you to be concerned about. Whatever we had is over. Completely."

"Oh. Okay. Good. Um, well, whoever she is, you should probably pick up her clothes from your living room area before Parker comes out of his room."

"Right." Booth answered, looking over towards his couch and seeing the disarray of clothing that Rebecca had noticed and heading over to do as she recommended.

"Parker's gonna be surprised Booth. I don't think he had any idea you were dating someone new."

"Yeah, well, about that …"

"Just be patient with him Booth" she interrupted. "You know he's really wanted Temperance to be your girlfriend for a long time now so his initial reaction is to balk at anyone else you date. I've tried to explain to him that he doesn't get a vote on that, but you need to expect it to take him a little time to warm up to anyone else."

Booth scooped up a lacy bra from partially beneath a throw pillow and hid it under the shirt in his hands, then turned back to Rebecca, unable to restrain the goofy smile on his face "well then, we shouldn't have any problem."

Rebecca looked at him, her head tilted in confusion. "Wait … are you saying … you and, and Temperance?" she asked with surprise while Booth just grinned and gave her a slight nod in response. While Rebecca had never really spent much time with Temperance, they'd met several times over the years and she felt like she knew Temperance fairly well just from Parker's stories. Before whatever happened to send Booth running off to Afghanistan last year, many of Parker's weekends with his dad had included Dr. Brennan and for years, Rebecca had listened to her son saying "Dr. Bones says this" or "Dr. Bones did that." Through Parker, Rebecca had actually become surprisingly fond of Dr. Temperance Brennan and, if she were being honest, she'd also been secretly hoping that eventually Seeley and Temperance would become a thing. Her son was crazy about the woman and Rebecca had to admit she'd been a wonderful influence on him with respect to his schoolwork. Based on Parker's comments and her own observations over the years, she suspected Temperance deserved at least partial credit for how well Booth had matured over the last several years too. "Wow. That's … that's great, Seeley. I'm really happy for you. Both of you. When did this happen?"

"Thanks Becca. It hasn't been that long and we're still adjusting to the change in our relationship, but, it feels good. I'm happy … happier than I've been in a long time."

"Well, congratulations" she said, stepping forward to give Booth a quick friendly hug. "She's a good woman, Seeley and I think you two will be good for each other. Now, I've got to get to work before I risk pissing off my boss. I'll see you tomorrow evening."

Walking her to the front door, Booth responded "Sure. Thanks for bringing Parker by and good luck with resolving your crisis."

- b&b -

Meanwhile … back in Booth's bedroom, Brennan, who had that tingling feeling of being watched, opened her eyes to find Parker Booth standing beside the bed, studying her. The bed in which she lay, totally naked except for the bed sheet which, luckily, was pulled part way up her back leaving only her upper back and shoulders bare to Parker's view.

_Crap. What do I do now?_ Somehow she didn't think Booth was going to be thrilled with this turn of events. Maybe if she just acted like being discovered, unclothed, in Booth's bed was no big deal, Parker - or more accurately, Booth - wouldn't freak out. "Good morning, Parker. We weren't expecting you quite this early. Is everything OK?" She lifted her head and propped herself up on her elbows, making sure to keep her chest covered by the pillow, so she could look at him more directly while conversing.

Parker had entered his dad's bedroom planning to see if there was an extra bar of soap in the bathroom cupboard as the soap in the bathroom Parker used was almost gone. He had not been expecting to find Bones in his dad's bed and was taken aback at first. He hoped it meant what he thought it meant as he liked Bones a lot and thought his dad was usually happiest when she was around.

"Yeah, mom just had to go to work this morning for some lawyery type crisis. Are you naked?"

"Um, yes Parker. I am. I don't think lawyery is a word, but I know what you mean." She figured she might as well respond honestly to his question as she'd always made it a policy to be honest with Parker and the answer was undoubtedly obvious anyway, even to a 10-year old.

"Did you sleep here with dad last night? Like that?"

_Sleep? Oh we did so much more than just sleep._ "Yes, I did. Does that upset you?"

"Nah. I s'pose that means you two had sex. Does this mean you are his girlfriend now?"

"What your father and I do alone together is our business Parker. I don't think your father would appreciate you speculating on what goes on in his love life. As to whether or not I am his girlfriend, well, I've never liked that term as I am no longer a girl, which implies a juvenile female, but yes, your father and I have embarked on a romantic relationship."

"Cool. Are you going to live here now, like Hannah did?"

"No. I'm planning to keep my own apartment, but I'll probably be here more often now when it's your turn to visit your dad. Is that OK with you? I don't want you to feel like I'm getting in the way of you and your dad spending time together. Booth and I were planning to talk to you about our new relationship today and letting you know that we are now seeing each other socially."

"I thought you once said you two couldn't date because you work together. Are you still going to work together?"

"Well, for a long time, your father and I were afraid that dating would interfere with working together and, therefore, wouldn't be a good idea. But, we've come to realize that we both have strong feelings for one another which has, at times, made not-dating and working together a challenge. So, we're going to give dating while working together a try."

Parker nodded his head, accepting her responses with aplomb, a look of concentration on his face as he tried to determine what other questions he might want to ask.

"If you're going to keep your apartment, can I sleep over at your place sometime?"

"We'd have to talk to your father about that, but I've no objections to that proposition. For now though, would you do me a favor and hand me that T-shirt that is on top of your dad's pile of clothes, then turn around while I put it on?"

Parker did as she asked, retrieving Booth's gray Phillies t-shirt from the pile and handing it to her, then turning around and closing his eyes tightly.

"All done." She said a few seconds later and Parker turned around to find her sitting up in the bed, leaning against the headboard with the sheets pulled up covering her lap. Parker immediately hopped up onto the bed and crawled over to Brennan to sit beside her, shoulder to shoulder.

"Awesome. I'd like to go swimming in your pool at night. My friend Tommy went swimming a couple weeks ago at a cousin's house in Florida when it was dark outside and he said it was really cool. Do you think we could try that?"

"Sure Parker. That sounds like fun. You know, if we're going to be spending more time together and sleeping in the same houses, we should probably establish some ground rules."

"Like what?"

"Well, for starters, I think we should have a rule that no one enters another person's bedroom without permission unless they're absolutely positive the other person is not there. We should knock and then wait for a response before entering."

"Yeah, we have that same rule at mom's house when she has a boyfriend around too."

"Next, I want us to have a rule that allows you to tell me or your father if you think I'm taking up too much of his time and we will agree not to get angry about it. How's that sound?"

"That's cool, but I don't expect that to be a problem. I suppose I'll also need to follow the rule that whenever there's a woman in the house, I need to put the toilet seat down too."

"That would be greatly appreciated, and you should put the lid down too."

Booth came rushing back into the bedroom to warn Brennan about Parker being in the house only to find them snuggled up together on the bed. Booth didn't think it was possible, but seeing her sitting there in his Phillies shirt, in his bed, talking softly with his son, he fell in love with her a little more. "Hey, bud. Listen, Bones and I have something we need to talk to you about."

"It's okay dad. Bones answered all my questions."

At that thought, Booth went a little pale.

**A/N:** _Next chapter should be up tomorrow._


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:** _Thanks for all the reviews, follows, and favorites. This one's a little on the short side, but c'est la vie, no?_

**DISCLAIMER:** I own nothing _Bones_ related except my imagination.

Booth and Brennan were working on a relatively new case. The remains of a woman had been found stuffed in her bedroom closet a couple days earlier. The victim was identified as 31-year old Alice Johansen, an attaché to the Norwegian embassy, and she had been viciously stabbed in the chest and abdominal cavity several times before being dragged into the closet of her condominium and hidden under some spare bedding. Whoever had killed her had attempted to clean up the bedroom, where the killing had taken place, but had still left behind a substantial amount of evidence for the forensic investigators at the Jeffersonian Institute and the FBI to find. The FBI had been brought in to the investigation because of the victim's diplomatic status.

Dr. Sweets had profiled the killer as someone who had an emotional investment in the victim. The brutal, frenetic nature of the stabbing indicated that the murder was a crime of passion and intense, personal emotions were obviously in play. The location and direction of the stabbings indicated the killer was right handed, and had been standing face to face with the victim, reinforcing the notion that she knew her attacker. Additionally, the directionality of the wounds indicated that the killer was likely between 5'-10" and 6'-1" tall, therefore, most likely a male.

The FBI had questioned her boyfriend, whom she'd been dating for about 4 months, but he was out of town at a business conference during the established window for time of death and had plenty of witnesses to confirm his alibi. However, a recent interview with a close female friend of the victims had indicated that her previous boyfriend could be a viable suspect. Apparently, that relationship had ended poorly and the ex-boyfriend was still having some personal issues which he held Miss Johansen accountable for. The ex-boyfriend, Mark Snyder, had just been picked up and brought in to the FBI interrogation room and was waiting questioning.

A few minutes earlier, Booth called Sweets and asked him to meet him and Brennan so they could discuss what they knew about Mr. Snyder and determine whether it would be better for Brennan or Sweets to sit in on the interrogation with Booth. They intercepted Sweets coming out of the elevator and the three team members started talking as they walked through the bullpen area, towards the interrogation rooms.

"So, after our victim's friend fingered Mark as a potential suspect, I did a little checking up on him." Sweets began. "Apparently, towards the end of their relationship, Mark started suffering from issues related to erectile dysfunction and, emotionally, he did not handle the issue well. He perceives himself as a man's man and was convinced that his little problem was somehow caused by our victim."

Brennan jumped in "Erectile dysfunction is a recognized medical condition. There are several variables which play into male sexual arousal. Hormones, emotions, the brain, nerves, muscles, and blood vessels are all relevant factors. A problem with any one of these could result in erectile dysfunction. Often times a high stress situation or embarrassment over what is often perceived as a personal failure in lieu of a medical condition can exacerbate the problem."

"That's right Dr. Brennan."

"Didn't Alice's friend tell us that Mr. Snyder is a foreman for some steel iron workers with a construction company? That's a pretty manly job. I bet he got tormented by his co-workers if they found out about his problem." Booth contributed halting their forward motion so he, Sweets, and Bones could talk more easily.

"That's very good Agent Booth. Someone like Mark Snyder would probably consider the, ah, the inability to sustain a healthy erection an affront to his masculinity and feel it jeopardized his ability to uphold the respect of the other men working beneath him. It's very possible that he rationalized his physical ailment by assigning blame for the problem to his ex-girlfriend, our victim, as opposed to seeking out a medical explanation. Without a proper diagnosis, he wouldn't be able to treat the underlying cause of his condition. The longer his problem persisted, the more his anger and, and resentment towards Alice would grow, especially if his problem appeared to be getting worse over time, not better."

"I concur with what Dr. Sweet's is saying Booth. Anthropologically, males often measure their status or position within the tribe based on sexual promiscuity or performance. While most instances of erectile dysfunction can be attributed to physiological conditions, such as diabetes, prostatitis, arteriosclerosis, to name a few, it can also be triggered by certain lifestyle circumstances such as high stress, anxiety, depression, or excessive alcohol consumption. Men who are sexually impotent often experience feelings of inadequacy in other aspects of their lives as well."

"You're in a high stress job, drink alcohol regularly, and occasionally struggle with depression yourself, Agent Booth. How are you doing these days anyway? Have you seen anyone socially now that it's been a couple months since Hannah left?"

"Stop. Just stop right there. You are way out of line buddy. My … my man parts work fine. Just fine." Booth angrily responded wondering how and why the conversation had suddenly shifted to him.

"I agree" chimed in Brennan. "Booth's ability to perform in that area is quite satisfactory and, I can guarantee you, you have no cause for concern" as a little smile of reminiscence appeared on her face and she tossed a flirty look Booth's direction.

Booth's head snapped towards Brennan and he glared at her. "Bones." Sweet's also looked at her, dumbfounded. It was quite normal for her to come to Booth's defense whenever Sweets prodded at him. He would've been surprised if she didn't. But that wasn't exactly the response he'd anticipated. That response implied … no way.

"What?" she asked Booth innocently.

"You can't say things like, like _that_, especially not in front of … you know, shrinky-brain here."

"Why not? It's true. You have an amazingly short refractory period and your stamina is quite impressive. Based on the frequency and the intensity of our lovemaking, I feel quite comfortable assuring Dr. Sweets that his concern for you and your ability to maintain a healthy erection is misdirected."

"Aaarghhh." Booth, hands on his hips, lifted his eyes to the ceiling in resignation and took a deep breath praying silently for patience. This was just part of what being in a relationship with Bones entailed, he reminded himself. The filter on what was likely to come out of her mouth was not tuned to spare _him_ embarrassment.

She placed her hand on his forearm, trying in her own awkward way to comfort him in his obvious distress and apologize for causing his discomfort. "I'm sorry. It was meant as a compliment Booth. You certainly have nothing to be embarrassed about. Your sexual prowess is remarkable." Her voice taking on a softer, husky timber that, combined with her flattery, was stirring his male parts to want to reveal just how well they function. Only this woman had the ability to completely mortify him, charm him, and arouse him all at the same time. Damn. If they weren't standing in the middle of the FBI bullpen, Booth would give her a demonstration of his skill right then and there.

Sweets was still recovering from what seemed to him to be a bombshell. Watching the two of them, the little gentle touches she bestowed on Booth, the close proximity of their bodies, the way they gazed at each other and spoke together as though they were the only ones in the room – anyone not familiar with them and their history would have immediately assumed they were intimately involved. But Sweets had been observing these kinds of displays of affection for years between them and had come to accept that they would never acknowledge the full depth of their true feelings for each other. Apparently, something had happened to change that recently and Sweets was curious as to what that was.

"This is interesting. So, I take it you two are a couple now? How long has this been going on?" Sweets asked, looking back and forth between them.

Brennan turned and looked at him as though he was an imbecile for posing such a question. "Of course we're a couple now Dr. Sweets. How else would I have knowledge of Booth's sexual mannerisms?"

"Ok, enough" Booth had finally had it. "Both of you. No more talk about me and Bones and our relationship. Let's just focus on the case here. Got it. We have a suspect to interrogate and all I want to hear from you right now, Sweets, is information about our suspect."

Of course, it didn't go unnoticed by Booth that this entire discussion had just occurred _outside_ his office, which meant that not only had Sweets been privy to Brennan extolling the merits of his sexual proficiency, so had the entire FBI bullpen. No doubt about it, the jokes and innuendos at his expense would be never ending after this. Looks like he was going to have to move forward the meeting he'd planned to have with Cullen about relationships with FBI liaisons. Unsurprisingly, those observers from the bullpen who had witnessed the exchange would tell you that despite whatever annoyance Booth might have felt at being the topic of such a discussion, there was a definite swagger in his step as he, Brennan, and Sweets walked off towards the interrogation room, Booth's hand resting possessively in the center of Brennan's lower back.

**A/N:** _Next chapter should be up tomorrow._


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N:** _Thanks for all the reviews, follows, and favorites. This chapter will make more sense if you've read the last one._

**DISCLAIMER:** I own nothing _Bones_ related except my imagination.

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><p>Mark Snyder had confessed to killing Alice Johansen. All things considered, it hadn't taken Booth and Sweets very long to break him. They had decided to have Brennan watch the interrogation from behind the one-way glass this time instead of joining Booth in the interrogation room because they thought the suspect, Mark, would be less inclined to admit to an erectile dysfunction problem with a woman in the room. When Sweets fired his shrinky brain at the suspect and started empathizing with him about how an evil woman can mess with a man's masculinity, the suspect had fallen apart and confessed the whole story. All that was left now was to wrap up the paperwork.<p>

Brennan had gone back to the Jeffersonian after the interrogation to pull together the forensic findings and reports from her team of scientists. It was now a little after 8 PM and she had just called Booth offering to bring her files to the FBI so they could wrap it up this evening and not have it lingering over their heads the next day. They still had at least a couple hours of work ahead of them, so she was going to stop off at a little deli on the corner and pick up some dinner for them on her way over.

Now, Brennan stood in the lobby of the Hoover building, waiting for the elevator to come up from the parking levels and convey her up to the 4th floor where Booth's office was, messenger bag full of case files slung over her shoulder and hands full of deli take-out. The soft "ping" announced the arrival of the elevator slightly before the doors opened and she stepped forward, noticing immediately that, despite the late hour, she wouldn't be alone on her ride.

"Hello Andrew. How are you this evening? I didn't think you were usually at the office this late."

Apparently, she was going to be sharing the elevator ride with Andrew Hacker, Booth's boss's boss and someone she had dated casually a little over a year ago. Her relationship with Andrew had never evolved into anything more than friendship. He'd given her plenty of clues to indicate that he had been interested in a sexual relationship and under different circumstances, she probably would have taken him up on his offer. She found Andrew to be enjoyable company and pleasant to look at, but at the time Andrew's path crossed hers, she was in the midst of struggling with the fact that her heart had already committed itself to Special Agent Seeley Booth and she hadn't been able to muster any real interest in having sexual intercourse with anyone else. If there was a female equivalent to their current perp's male erectile dysfunction, then she supposed she'd been suffering from it back then. She and Andrew had parted ways on cordial terms when she left for an extended dig in the Maluku Islands of Indonesia, but she hadn't seen him more than once or twice briefly since she'd returned almost half a year ago.

"Temperance" he said with a warm smile on his face. "My evening just got a whole lot better now that I've seen your beautiful smile. I've been out of town for a couple days on business and just got back. Thought I'd drop off some files and check up on a couple things before heading home for the night. You here to see Booth?"

"Yes. We wrapped up a case today involving the murder of a Norwegian attaché and need to finish the paperwork, so I brought him some dinner. We'll probably be working for a couple more hours yet."

"Ah, such dedication. You two are so wonderful for my career and my image. I sometimes think it would be fun to tag along and watch you two in action, catching bad guys, but then people might actually expect me to be able to answer questions about how you two manage so well together. Sometimes ignorance is a much safer path to follow."

The elevator "pinged" again, announcing Brennan's stop and she stepped forward to exit the elevator as the doors opened.

"It was a pleasure to see you Andrew. Take care."

"You too, Temperance."

The doors closed carrying Hacker up to another level and Brennan went forward to meet with Booth. When she got to his office, she found it empty. Setting down the food bags, she pulled out her phone and sent him a text.

_Where are you? I've brought food._

_Conference rm 401A - end of hall near Charlie's desk. _

Brennan turned and headed for the conference room. She located Booth in a smallish room that was sparsely furnished. The walls were bare except for a projection screen at one end and the only furniture consisted of a table in the center of the room surrounded by eight chairs plus a narrow sideboard cabinet where someone could set up snacks or coffee during a meeting.

She set the bags of food down on the sideboard before stepping over to Booth's chair and leaning down to give him a quick hello kiss, pulling back almost immediately before things could get out of control, her hand lingering on his shoulder. She could see the heat flare in his eyes, something she was learning to recognize now that they'd been sleeping together for a couple weeks, and felt a corresponding stirring of her own desire.

"Behave Booth. I brought you dinner and we have work to do. If you're a good boy and finish all your paperwork, maybe we can play later." She stated with a flirtatious smile, pulling away from him to set her messenger bag down at the other end of the table and grab her dinner. "How come you're in here and not in your office?"

Booth watched her organizing her papers and food at the far end of the table and couldn't help but admire how gorgeous she looked to him. "More room for us to spread out than the table in my office. Plus, I would've had to clean up to make room for us. It just seemed easier to find a spot that was less cluttered." He shuffled the papers piled in front of him around to make room for his dinner, then grabbed the deli bag she'd brought him to see what she'd bought.

Booth and Brennan chatted idly while eating their dinner, then buckled down with the paperwork after cleaning up the food remains. For the next hour or so, they worked diligently, side by side, occasionally asking one or the other a question about the case. It was a good, comfortable and companionable experience, reminiscent of many evenings they'd spent together before the strain that had permeated their relationship following their mutual flights to international destinations a little over a year previous. Brennan felt her gaze drifting over to Booth, not for the first time that evening, and noticed he was grinning foolishly at his pile of papers.

"Why are you smiling like that Booth?" Brennan asked, a similar smile creeping across her face at the sight of him so obviously tickled about something.

Booth rocked back in his chair, folding his hands together behind his head, and chuckled. "Just looking through Sweet's notes here and I started thinking about you standing in the middle of the bullpen earlier today, announcing to everyone within earshot what an amazing sex God you consider me to be."

She chuckled "I don't recall ever calling you an amazing sex God, Booth. I simply stated that your ability to perform, sexually, was not an issue for anyone's concern."

Booth just admired her for a minute, amazed at how she was so beautiful and didn't really know it. She was sitting there in a simple button down blouse which displayed her cleavage just enough to titillate; dark blue jeans which hugged her legs and ass perfectly; and high heeled boots which accentuated her long slender legs. Her silky auburn hair framing her face – the face he planned to wake up to every morning for the rest of his life.

"Same difference Bones. Same difference." Booth leaned forward from his chair, stood up, and stalked over to where Brennan was sitting. Then placing his hands on her armrests and leaning down over her, he purred "What every man in that bullpen heard today was you admitting that I rock your socks off" as he closed the distance between their mouths, pressing his lips to hers before she could make some comment about not understanding why he was talking about her socks and relishing her immediate and enthusiastic response as he hungrily devoured her.

He pulled back, laughing softly "Every time you come to see me, at least for the next couple weeks, and you walk through that bullpen, each of those men in there is going to be thinking about you, naked, with your legs wrapped around me Bones. They might picture us in a bed, or up against a wall, or even on top of the desk in my office, but any way they picture it, they're going to know that you're mine and _you like it_! I'd probably be pissed-off if I wasn't so turned by your declaration." He leaned forward and started trailing kisses along her jaw, nipping on her earlobe, and sliding down her neck.

"God, you're such an alpha male. And what about the women?" she asked huskily.

"Mmmm, what women?" he said reaching forward with one hand and undoing the first couple of buttons on her blouse.

"There were some women in that bullpen today too. Do you believe they'll be envisioning the same thing?" She said as she started to gently tug his shirt free from his pants.

"Didn't notice them. What do _you_ suppose was going through their minds?" he probed, her shirt now completely open so he could push it off her shoulders and work on removing her lacy bra next.

"I imagine … " she started as she reached for his Cocky belt buckle "that they were probably jealously wondering …" buckle undone now, she unsnapped his pants and lowered his zipper "about the package you could deliver …" Her hand now wrapped around his erection, stroking him, encouraging him in this game they were playing "that keeps me sooo satisfied."

Booth stood up, not enough to dislodge her hand from his cock, but enough so he was no longer looming over her. He pulled her up from her chair, kissing her thoroughly again as he turned her back to the conference table and hoisted her up to sit on the edge. "Admit it Bones. You think I'm a sex God."

"Himeros was the Greek god of sexual desire and he was usually depicted as a child or youthful man." She responded as he unzipped her boots and pulled them off her legs, one after the other. "He was the twin brother to Eros, the mischievous god of love. Himeros and Eros were frequently depicted as companions to Aphrodite in Greek mythology although there is some controversy as to whether or not she was actually their mother. Unlike Himeros, there is nothing remotely childlike about you Booth."

Booth leaned forward and captured the peak of one of her breasts in his mouth, suckling vigorously while she moaned her pleasure and squirmed on the table top, trying to get her pelvis in closer contact with his. He released her nipple with a gentle pop and as he moved to lave some attention on the other breast taunted her "before we leave this conference room Bones, you're going to call me a sex God. Mark my words." As his lips wrapped around her breast, his hands moved to the fastening of her jeans. It wasn't much longer before she sat completely nude on the table in a FBI conference room, while Booth stood between her legs, fully clothed but for the open fly to his pants.

Brennan grabbed Booth by his tie and pulled him to her for another scorching kiss. Her deft fingers undid the knot at his neck, then proceeded to liberate the buttons of his shirt from their holes. "I want your shirts off Booth. I want to feel your skin against me. Now" she commanded him in a sultry tone. Booth's open dress shirt fell to the floor then he pulled his undershirt off over his head and dropped it beside her on the table.

"Tell me I'm a sex God, Bones. I want to hear you say it."

"Make me" she dared him.

_Game on._

They kissed, they stroked, she ran her nails down his back with just enough pressure to provide pleasure bordering on pain, he pinched, tugged, and bit her nipples until they were standing erect, engorged from the attention and finally, finally, when they were both half-crazed with desire, he lined his cock up with her pussy and slid home, feeling her tight, wet sheath clench around him as she sprawled backwards on the conference room table.

Booth pistoned in and out of Brennan steadily, his hands clenching her hips so that each thrust buried him as deep as possible. Brennan reveled at the feel of him deep inside her channel, caressing her from the inside.

"More" she moaned. "Faster, Booth"

"Tell me I'm a God" he husked..

"You're amazing. I can't get enough of you ... oh, that feels so good."

"Nice, but not what I'm after. Tell me I'm a sex God Bones. Say the words, baby."

She was so close. She knew he was too. She felt him move one of his hands to apply pressure right above her clit. He just bore down with pressure, no movement, no rubbing, just pressure. Just a little more and she was going to explode.

"Yes, ooooh, Booth. Just a little more."

"Bones. Tell me. Sex God." He grunted, fuller sentences no longer in his ability.

She had planned to give in to him from the beginning, but had been enjoying the extra tension from their battle of wills throughout their lovemaking and hadn't wanted to surrender too soon. She was pretty sure (not 100% though) that she could hold out longer than him, but that wasn't really her goal, not this time. Now, she just wanted to cum and she wanted to feel him explode inside her too. If he wanted her to call him a god to make that happen, she'd do it, but her way. "Booth …" she groaned "you .. are .. a .. sex God …. aaah, a veritable _Deity_ …. mmmm …. The way you make me feel … with your _celestial club_ … oooh … it's absolutely _divine_ … almost like a _miracle_ every .. damn .. time."

Booth picked up his pace and started to rotate the finger he'd placed just above her clit. Brennan felt a tingling that seemed to start from her toes as her whole body lit up like a firework and she clenched hard around Booth's cock, milking it and pulling him over the edge with her in a shattering, simultaneous orgasm that seemed to both last an eternity and be over too quickly before Booth collapsed on top of her, both partners panting and out of breath.

Several minutes later, when Booth finally felt he could move again, he lifted his head and quirked an eyebrow at her "celestial club? Really Bones?" and they both started to laugh at her abuse of god-like terms.

Booth looked at the papers that were now in complete disorder on the table and sighed "I suppose we should get back to work or, at the very least, get this mess reorganized so we can tackle it tomorrow."

"I'll admit, I think I've lost my focus for the night and would prefer to just go home."

He reached down and scooped up Brennan's jeans and panties from the floor, handing them to her as he started to fasten his own pants. No sooner had she slipped them on when they both heard the muted "ping" of the elevator down the hall.

"Shit" Booth cursed softly, eyes snapping towards Brennan. "I didn't expect anyone else to be here this late at night."

"Andrew was here" She whispered back, grabbing Booth's undershirt which was sitting beside her on the table and slipping it over her head quickly figuring it would be faster than retrieving her shirt off the floor and messing with all those buttons.

"Andrew? You mean Hacker?" he hissed. "How would you know?"

"I rode up with him on the elevator."

Just seconds after the words left her mouth, Assistant Deputy Director Andrew Hacker appeared in the doorway.

"Booth. Here you are. Temperance mentioned you two would be working late tonight. I was just heading out myself and thought I'd stop by and congratulate you both on your latest triumph. I know I can always count on you guys to make me look good" he said with a jovial smile.

Andrew Hacker may present himself to people as a somewhat oafish and unassuming dolt, but he was no idiot. You didn't rise to the position of Assistant Deputy Director of the FBI without having a keen eye for detail and an innate ability to recognize the undercurrents of a situation and respond diplomatically. His real purpose in stopping by Booth's office was to ask Brennan if she'd be interested in meeting him for coffee some morning. He figured enough time had passed since the last time he'd asked her out that she may have come to terms with whatever issues she'd been struggling with a year ago and be more receptive to getting involved in a relationship with him. Needless to say, a quick glance around the room told him that ship had definitely sailed.

She sat there on the edge of the conference table, in what appeared to be Booth's t-shirt, with no bra if the points the tips of her breasts made in the soft cotton were any indicator, and her bare feet crossed. Pink toenails – so femininely whimsical. Her lips were swollen, her hair was mussed, and the skin on one side of her neck was a little redder than the other, probably from whisker burn. She had that soft visage of a woman recently well pleasured. Andrew took all this in instantly with just a glance and, recognizing just how unbelievably gorgeous a freshly fucked Dr. Brennan looked, realized this would be the only time he'd ever get to see her this way. Partners. Right.

"Well, I'll let you two get back to your work. Booth, stop by my office for a little chat in the morning when you get in, would you?" Which Booth understood to be Hacker's tactful way of telling Booth that he was expected to meet with Hacker, and probably Cullen, in the morning to discuss what Hacker had walked in on tonight.

"Yes sir." As much as Hacker annoyed Booth, primarily because of his previous interest in Bones, Booth acknowledged that Hacker was being a gentleman in exercising discretion and not making an issue out of their office tryst while Brennan was around.

"Thank you, Andrew. Have a good night." Brennan chimed in as Hacker turned away.

"You too. Oh, and make sure you pick up all the papers that are on the floor. I wouldn't want you to leave anything important behind."

Booth and Brennan stayed frozen in silence, right where they were, until they once again heard the "ping" of the elevator followed by the swish of the closing doors. Then, they looked down on the floor where they saw no papers, just a few as yet unclaimed articles of clothing.

"We are so busted."

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><p><strong>AN:** _I know a lot of folks didn't like Hacker, but I always thought he was basically a decent guy. Not the right one for Brennan, but decent nonetheless. Therefore, I chose to be kind._

_I have one more chapter planned for this thread, but it's not coming together yet. Not sure exactly when I'll get it posted – probably not for at least a few days. Thanks for reading!_


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N:** _Thanks for all the reviews, follows, and favorites. Also, just wanted to give a final thanks to Jenny1701 who sent me down this rabbit hole. Hope you got what you were looking for. This is the final chapter I'd planned for this thread._

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><p><strong>DISCLAIMER:<strong> I own nothing _Bones_ related except my imagination.

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><p>After spending more than 30 years as a prosecutor for the criminal justice system, Caroline Julian was seldom surprised anymore by the vile and reprehensible ways people could behave, especially towards other human beings. As far as she was concerned, most people on this planet weren't worth bothering with. Was she a cynic? Most definitely and if that bothers you, she'd not hesitate to tell you to fuck off. She was who she was and she made no apologies about that. There's not enough damn time in our lives to spend it pandering to the whims of people's egos or trying to curry favor with those who were morally corrupt.<p>

But underneath that harsh persona (admittedly, very deeply underneath it often seemed) actually beat the heart of a warm and compassionate woman. Nothing got her riled more than seeing someone's innocence taken advantage of and she would fiercely and passionately pursue justice against those miscreants who abused or harmed those who weren't in a position to defend themselves. Personally, she couldn't care less if bad people mistreated other bad people, although professionally she sometimes had to swallow her bile and protect some lowlife for the greater good. But when bad people mistreated good people, she'd come after them with everything in her arsenal. It's for that reason, as she sat at her breakfast table early in the pre-dawn morning light, having just been appraised of a new situation that was currently unfolding, that she made the decision to call in Special Agent Seeley Booth and his Merry Band of Squints. She wanted this one handled right.

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><p>Booth was in the middle of a pleasantly erotic dream involving him, Bones, a tropical waterfall, and little to no clothing when he was roused from his slumber by the ringing of his telephone. Bones, who'd been sleeping sprawled half on top of his chest, lifted her head and reached for his cell phone since he was partially pinned beneath her, limiting his mobility. Handing it to him, she returned to her initial position with her cheek resting on one of his pectoral muscles. Of course, now that she was awake, she decided to take advantage of the opportunity her position provided and began to explore the area of chest beneath her cheek with her lips and tongue - kissing, nipping, and sucking lightly.<p>

"Booth" he answered the phone, sliding his free hand up into Brennan's hair to cup her scalp, not pulling her to his chest, but not letting her go, either.

"Morning, Cher. Did I wake you?" Caroline asked, not sounding the least bit repentant. "It's time for you to get that gorgeous FBI ass of yours out of bed and get to work."

"Aaargh, it's barely six o'clock in the morning Caroline" he groaned in to the phone watching regretfully as Brennan stopped her ministrations and lifted her head, looking at Booth quizzically. Either murder or Caroline alone would typically be enough to kill the mood, but together …. Might as well forget it.

"We've got us a crime scene out here in Reston, Virginia that's going to require the special expertise of that lady doctor partner of yours that you like to pretend you're not in love with. How quickly can you locate Dr. Brennan and get yourselves over here?"

"Shouldn't take long to locate Bones. We can probably be there in about an hour. Is this an indoor or outdoor crime scene?"

"A little bit of both, Cher. I'll text you the address right after I call Dr. Saroyan" and with that, the line went dead before he had the chance to ask for any more information.

"Damn" he said, looking at Brennan with disappointment. They'd only been sleeping together a few weeks, but he'd been getting used to a hearty good morning romp and was going to be sorry to miss out this morning. "Looks like duty calls. We've got a new case and Caroline's in a tizzy. I'll shower first while you get some coffee brewing. Then, while you're getting ready, I'll log into the office network and see if I can find out a little more about what's going on."

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><p>Caroline was at the crime scene before Booth and Brennan arrived which was an indication of how important this particular investigation was to her. It wasn't unusual for Caroline to be involved during the investigation phase of a case, but she almost always provided her commentary and analysis from the cozy environs of the office. She did not like coming out into the field and she did not like witnessing messy crimes scenes first hand, especially when they were fresh. Photographs were bad enough in her opinion.<p>

She'd just finished discussing with Murphy that this was a high profile case and telling him they needed to keep the press out of it as much as possible or there were some muckity-mucks above both their heads that were going to be mighty unhappy when she overheard part of a conversation between Daniels and Johnson, two FBI techs that were busily putting up crime scene tape.

"No way … she really said that?"

"Oh man, everyone in the bull pen heard it. Maxwell said it was funny as shit. They are definitely finally doin' the bedtime boogie."

"What'd he do?"

"He just glowered at her, you know the look I mean dude, and she just went right on talking about him being a sexual dynamo. Maxwell said the best part was the look on Sweets' face." He chuckled. "Priceless, dude."

Caroline couldn't care less if two FBI agents were hooking up, like it sounded like, but when it came to making fun of Dr. Sweets, she was a little like a mama bear with her cub.

"Don't you two FBI dandies have enough work to do to keep you from standing around gossiping like a bunch of teenage girls?" she snapped at them "Or, do I need to make sure you get some more?"

As they scurried away, she saw her favorite dynamic duo pulling up and looking for a place to park. Caroline would deny it categorically if anyone ever asked her, but she had a soft spot for Booth and Brennan. In her opinion, they epitomized what it meant to be good people. They were hard-working, dedicated individuals who pursued truth and justice with a fervor worthy of respect and they both had hearts of gold. Over the handful of years they'd been working together, she'd seen them both willing to sacrifice themselves to protect those they loved, especially when that came to one another. Caroline couldn't imagine two people more perfect for doing the no pants dance together and she hoped they'd eventually get their shit together and figure that out themselves.

Booth and Brennan arrived at the scene much quicker than Caroline had expected. He must've driven like a bat out of hell with his sirens blaring for at least part of the drive to make it from his apartment to Dr. Brennan's (which was in the opposite direction), then out to Reston in the time since she'd called him. As a criminal prosecutor, viewing day-to-day events along a timeline was second nature to her and something she now did automatically, without conscious thought. In the back of her mind, she recognized something seemed "hinky" about the timing here, but she was focused on other things right now, so let it go.

Watching Booth and his partner exit his SUV and start walking in her direction, she couldn't help but admire what a fine specimen of manly delight Booth was. Not for the first time, she marveled at Dr. Brennan's resistance to her big burly FBI partner's masculine charms. She found it almost comical that someone who was as much of a genius as Dr. Brennan clearly was could be such a complete idiot when it came to recognizing that she was in love with the fool. She thought back to the time a few Christmas's ago when she had coerced Dr. Brennan into giving Seeley a big 'ol kiss under some mistletoe. Dr. Brennan had put up a little resistance at first, but when it came time to set those steamboats to sail, she'd eyed Seeley Booth like he was her favorite Christmas pudding and dug in … quite enthusiastically. Caroline had had to excuse herself for some fresh air after watching that kiss.

Booth had been unsuccessful in learning anything worthwhile about the current situation when he logged in to the FBI network earlier, so he and Brennan were still unclear what they'd been called in to examine.

"Morning, Caroline. So, what's the situation?"

"Morning Cher, Chérie. Welcome to the humble home of one Mr. Ramone Sanchez, apparent kidnapper and murderer." All three team members turned in unison to look at the rather ordinary house in the middle of a rather ordinary middle class suburban neighborhood as she continued briefing them.

"One of our FBI teams that is working with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children got a tip late last night that Mr. Sanchez might not be the upstanding pillar of society all his friends and neighbors believe him to be. We sent in a FBI tactical team first thing this morning and wouldn't you know it, they discovered Mr. Sanchez had a house guest, except this particular house guest was locked in a room with one of her ankles chained to an eyebolt that was anchored to the floor. Fifteen year old Leah McKinley, favored niece to one of our US Senators and reported missing by her parents a little more than a week ago."

"So, Leah was rescued? And she's okay?" Booth questioned.

"Well, she's alive, which is the most important thing. Not sure that's the same as okay. She's obviously been traumatized and she may have been molested as well. She's been taken to the hospital for an examination and treatment of minor injuries. Cam's meeting her at the hospital to oversee the collection of any particulates or other evidence we may need. Murphy over there tried to get an initial statement from her, but she was pretty distraught and we ended up giving her a sedative to calm her down so we'll need to follow up with her again later."

"And Sanchez?"

"He's on his way to a holding cell at the Hoover building until you can get back there and interrogate him. I'm sure I wouldn't notice a thing if you were to flex your big burly muscles and intimidate the weasel a little during the process, but you did not hear me say that."

"If both the kidnapper and the victim are alive and identified, then why am I here?" Brennan asked.

"Did you not hear me describe Mr. Sanchez as a kidnapper AND murderer, Chérie? On the advice from our anonymous tip-off, we brought in Tutti, the cadaver dog, and we've got us three bodies buried in the backyard. The FBI techs have marked the locations, but I instructed them not to start excavating until your smiling face was here to oversee the process. I know how testy you get when someone messes with your remains. Now, I need you to go do your magic, figure out who's buried back there, and hopefully find me some evidence that conclusively links these other three victims to Mr. Sanchez."

Brennan nodded her head in understanding. "Alright. I'll go put my field suit on and grab my field kit from the back of the truck." She turned away and started walking towards the SUV, Booth right behind her with his hand on the small of her back, as usual. Wait … Did his hand just slide down and pat her on the bottom? Did Dr. Brennan just toss a flirty smile over her shoulder at him? Suddenly, the pieces fell into place … the bullpen hook-up that rattled Dr. Sweets …. the fact that Booth and Brennan got to the scene too quickly for her to have been at her place … and now this. Good Lord Almighty. If what Caroline suspected was true, she'd need her woolen mittens when she died as Hell must've finally frozen over.

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><p><strong>AN: **_ As I wrote this chapter, I tried to put us inside Caroline's mind and get her perspective on some things. I'm curious as to how well people think I captured her character / opinions. Any comments?_

_Thanks for reading!_


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